His handling of the Carling Cup final was excellent. So I genuinely hope he just made a simple mistake over Andy Johnson's penalty claim last night . . . because the alternative is too awful to contemplate.

Just as David Moyes collected a video tape of penalty awards denied Johnson this season, I am sure Keith Hackett and his merry men collect video footage of men going over too easily in the box and distribute them to their officials.

I don't know whether Johnson would figure on such a short list, but it's difficult to imagine any other reason why he wasn't awarded a penalty kick last night.

I really hope I'm wrong, but psychologically referees act differently when some players are involved in an incident – and, unfortunately, Johnson seems to be one of them.

Last night at Villa Park it was a tackle from behind on him. If it had taken place on the halfway line there would have been a yellow card shown, as well as a free-kick awarded. There wasn't any element of doubt about it.

But no penalty decision was forthcoming.

I sometimes wish referees would learn to watch players' reactions after an incident, because you can learn so much.

Stilian Petrov’s instant reaction spoke volumes. He put his hands up in a desperate declaration of innocence – and stared at the ground – not daring to look up to see what the referee was doing.

It was a stonewall penalty – his reaction merely seemed to confirm as much – and it was the undoubted turning point of the match.

If Everton had gone 2-0 up so early in the game, it would have been difficult to see Villa coming back.

I thought in the circumstances a draw was a good result.

Aston Villa are fighting for their lives, and Everton still came away from their ground with a point.

After a really good first half performance it was, perhaps, a little bit disappointing that Everton didn't come out and play after the break.

But I worked with Martin O'Neill for three years and I know exactly what will have been going on in that dressing room at half-time.

He'll have produced a Winston Churchill-type speech. He'd have asked them if they wanted to be relegated and he'd have really whipped them up for a fire and brimstone second half.

The Villa players responded and a draw was probably a fair result on the night.

It might have been better after the start Everton made, but it's still a solid result.

Crunch time for Blues >>>

Crunch time for Blues

EASTER is so often a defining period in a team's season - and that could be the case with Everton this weekend.

They face a Fulham team fighting for their Premiership lives on Friday night at Goodison Park, then three days later go to one of their closest rivals for a UEFA Cup place, Bolton.

I think wherever you are in the Premiership table, four points from six is a good return from your Easter programme and that's what Everton must aim for.

Sometimes those points don't come as you would expect.

Everton could draw on Friday, then win at the Reebok Stadium on Monday afternoon. In fact given the teams' respective league positions that would probably be the best way round of doing it!

But however they come, Everton must aim for at least four points to keep that UEFA Cup momentum going.

Livewire Vaughan is doing excellent job

JAMES VAUGHAN was excellent last night. It is astonishing to think it was only his second full start.

He was strong, lively and linked up well with Andy Johnson.

There will come a time, possibly after six or seven games, when his performances will start to dip, which is only to be expected from a youngster breaking into the first team.

But until that point David Moyes should stick with him and let him keep doing what he's done in his last two performances.